Pakistan ruling party meets to discuss 'groupism' within

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif met senior party leaders on Saturday to discuss a strategy for countering groupings within the party.

In a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Chaudhry Muneer at his Jati Umra residence, Sharif expressed concerns over reports of groupings within the party ranks.

The party leaders decided to launch a mass public contact campaign for the 2018 general elections starting with a rally in Abbottabad on November 12.

The schedule for future election rallies will be announced after the Abbottabad rally.

The PML-N is currently facing political uncertainty in the wake of corruption references against its top leadership.

The meeting took place amidst reports that the government was planning to put up for a vote a controversial constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly that proposes the right to appeal against an order of the Supreme Court passed in a suo motu notice case.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reacted strongly to the move, describing it as a bid to ease pressure on Sharif.

--IANS

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